What is Junk?

By Ordinance definition, junk shall mean any garbage, rubbish or litter, any junked or abandoned motor vehicle or parts thereof, and any personal property or other article having only nominal salvage value, which has been left unprotected from the elements. A junked or abandoned motor vehicle is a motor vehicle that does not have a license tag for the current year or is missing equipment or pieces thereof necessary for its operation.

If there a junk or problem in my neighborhood, who do I report it to?

The Department of Community Development - Code Enforcement Department at 488-9300.

If I complain about junk on a person's property, why doesn't the county come and get it?

The proper disposal of junk and litter on an individual's property is the responsibility of the property owner, not the County. Garbage collection service in Loon County is currently provided by Waste Management. You may contact them directly for specific rules and fees regarding junk and litter by calling 574-3000.

*** Public Works Operations maintains the public roads and rights-of-way (including ditches) in Loon County (487-3070). It is against the law, and considered "dumping" to place any junk or natural debris in these rights-of-way.

When I complain about junk on a person 'a property, why does it take so long before the junk is removed?

There are several reasons for the perceived delay in removal of the junk:

• Leon County relies on the owner to remove any junk on his/her property. The County will not pick up and dispose of the junk.
• The enforcement process begins once an inspection is conducted by a Leon County Compliance Specialist which verifies that the complaint is valid. An inspection is usually performed within 24-48 hours after the initial complaint is received.
• Leon County Code Enforcement operates under Florida Statute Chapter 162, which requires legal notice and due process of the parties allegedly in violation. Meeting the requirements of this statute may extend compliance efforts a few weeks to several months.

Loon County Code Enforcement deals ONLY in land use issues. Every complaint that is made by a citizen MUST be investigated by a Compliance Specialist regardless of the reason for registering the complaint. If the Compliance Specialist finds the complaint to be valid, the enforcement process will begin. If the complaint is not a violation, of the County Codes, the matter is considered "invalid."

If I receive a Count y letter about junk and litter on my property, when does the fine start running?

There are no fines initially assessed when you receive a letter that you have junk and litter on your property. Leon County's primary objective is VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE. Fines for violations of the Junk and Litter Code are assessed by the Code Enforcement Board, CEB. Once the CEB finds that there is in fact violation, and the violator does not comply within the time limit that the CEB has ordered, there will be a fine placed on the property.

If I want to know who complained about me, can I find out?

Under the Public Records Law of Florida, all information given to staff is a matter of public record and it must be disclosed if the information is requested. If a citizen waits to find out who made a complaint he/she should come to our office (3401 W. Tharpe Street) and make a "public records." Most of the complaints that are received are from anonymous sources and they do not reflect the identity of the complaint.

Is the Junk Code (Chapter 14 Section 14-31) enforced the same way in Woodville, as in Killarn Lakes?